The Chains of the Mind
by xSorcery
Summary: "I say there is no darkness but ignorance." Dark magic isn't exactly taboo, but it does bear a certain social stigma. As Aisha furthers her magic, she realizes that nothing could prepare her for social pariahdom. But with her friends and Angkor, she unlocks the truth behind the unique path she chose and finally finds her niche. Three-shot / Aisha-centric / Minor ElsAi
1. Part I

**The Chains of the Mind**

* * *

**I**

* * *

_Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt._

* * *

Elsword, Rena, and the two we picked up from Altera arrived in Feita a few weeks ago, after hearing news about a demon invasion. Stella figured that since we successfully retrieved Ruben's El, we would be strong enough to help the Feita Guard as they struggled to fight an uphill battle.

And uphill it truly was.

Exhausted, battle-worn soldiers lay in every corner of the hastily set-up camp. Many were injured, starchy white bandages wrapped around limbs and torsos, and groans of pain echoed from inside the canvas tents. Those who were well enough to walk helped in every way they could, running from tent to tent with potions and painkillers and delivering messages, or snored heavily inside their tents from the fatigue of fighting. Slow burning campfires lay unattended as people bustled around.

To think, they had been fighting for months and only retook Spiral Corridor a few days ago. Two areas down, four more to go. And we weren't sure if we could even keep our position here.

The demon army couldn't be underestimated. What they lacked in intelligence, they made up for in sheer numbers. There was many a time that we simply couldn't go on and were forced to retreat behind carefully warded areas as streams of demons chased us through the temple.

There was no end.

* * *

I plopped down near a simmering fire pit, the ashes still glowing bright red with heat. Using my own rudimentary fire magic, I relit the flame, feeling the steady glimmer of warmth spread through the dreary temple. My bones ached with fatigue and cold. If I wasn't devising strategies with Lento and the rest of them, I was running around the infirmary unit, trying to help out as best as I could.

Which wasn't very much.

Because of the path I chose to walk, it was only natural that people would avoid me. After all, dark magic _is_ linked to death and bad luck, which these people didn't need any more of.

_You know, you don't have to help out if you don't want to. You're going to exert yourself scouting tomorrow too_, I heard Angkor whisper in my head. He settled down on top of my feet, closer to the fire, though I wasn't sure if he actually felt temperature in his Earth form.

_I know, but I want to do something for them. This frigid, dark atmosphere does no good for anyone. Even Rena and Ara have been looking haggard these past few days. Rena's been doing all she can to heal, but there's just too many. And I have you to amplify my powers, _I answered back telepathically.

_What good is being able to help if no one will let you?_

I cringed; Angkor had a point there. _At least I can boost Rena's healing ability_.

_Tch. Just take a break. You're going to need your energy tomorrow. And you can't always rely on me, you know._ His condescending tone really irked me sometimes, but he was right. I couldn't waste anymore energy being angry with him.

I rolled my eyes, even though I knew that Angkor wasn't able to see me from my feet.

But someone else did.

"Hey, I saw that!" a male voice called from above me. "Does my very existence bother you so much?"

Inwardly, I groaned. While it was a relief not having to socialize with people, socializing with Elsword was another story.

"Yes, yes, it does," I retorted cheekily, "and I would appreciate if you stopped existing."

"Ooh, _burn_. Wait, that's my job." He sat down next to me and summoned a rune, making the heat from the fire more intense.

"Only if your job is to be the most annoying human in Elrios."

He snorted next to me, as the both of us stared at the flickering glow in front of us. "Very original."

"I try my best."

"And a four-year-old can do bett— Ow!" he exclaimed suddenly, rubbing his arm where I punched him.

He glowered at me.

And, like a four-year-old, I blew a raspberry.

"And when you can't win with words, you turn to childish violence," I heard him mutter under his breath.

I pointedly ignored him.

We sat in silence again, staring at the dancing orange hues from the fire, trying to absorb more of its warmth. Unconsciously, we had also moved closer together, drawing heat from each other's bodies.

"How's Rena doing?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Last time I checked, Raven forced her to rest. Speaking of rest, we need to get some shut-eye ourselves. Lento said the Underground Chapel area is huge, and there are hidden doors everywhere, so we may need to split up to scout the entire area." He stood up silently, the warmth from his body and the extra heat from the rune fading away. Once he finished brushing off his pants, he held out a hand.

Sighing, I grabbed it and let him pull me up. "Good night, I guess." Goosebumps erupted on my arms, abdomen, and thighs as I tried to adjust to the disappearance of the fire. Shivering, I brought my arms tightly around myself.

"Good night. And tell that tubby bat of yours to let you wear a jacket!" he called out as he walked towards the tent he shared with Raven and Chung on the northern border of camp.

"Shut up before I make him sic you," I called back as I watched him walk away.

_Nah, he doesn't look tasty. Too much muscle, not enough fat_, Angkor answered nonchalantly.

I turned to the opposite direction where the tent I shared with Rena, Eve, and Ara was located. I moved into a slow jog to fend off the cold air, but I could still feel the prolonged glances and stares of the warriors. Though Elsword's company had distracted me, I was now fully aware of the attention my garb, or lack thereof, drew and the whispers of speculation about the magic I practiced.

Maybe I should've followed Elsword's path and advanced my elemental magic. But would I be as strong as I was before I lost my powers?

I shivered, unsure if it was the cold or the stares, and ran under the canvas flap of my tent.

* * *

It started in Elder.

While digging through Hoffman's collection of books, I came across one that was especially intriguing. Though Hoffman had claimed that no one could read it, I had no trouble opening the cracked cover and flipping through the worn parchment. Within a week, I had read the spell book from cover to cover, wearing down the broken spine even more.

And that was my first encounter with dark magic.

The townspeople of Elder were so happy to be relieved of Wally's oppressive rule that they never noticed or had a chance to judge.

By then, we were halfway to Bethma, where the whispers began.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Elsword asked impatiently. He sat on a rock under a ledge in a futile, desperate attempt to escape the heat. "Where is this shaman dude we need to find?"

Rena wiped the deluge of sweat dripping from her forehead only to make way for more perspiration. "We… should be close," she puffed, the cloying heat taking a toll on her, especially since her attacks took much physical energy.

"Shouldn't you be used to the heat from all of that fire magic training I showed you?" I snapped crankily.

"You showed me how to create fire, not resist it!"

"Same difference." I stood over him, arms crossed as my face contorted with unmasked irritation.

"Are you telling me that—"

"Aisha, what's gotten into you?" Rena's asked, staring wide-eyed at something behind me.

I turned around to see a miasmatic cloud gather near my head, a result of my turbulent emotions. Quickly, I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Calm¸_ I chanted in my head, _calm_.

With my head cleared and emotions in check, I opened my eyes, ready to apologize. "Sorry, Els—" I straightened, suddenly alert. "I can sense it. Kayak's aura…" I said slowly. In the back of my mind, something was telling me that a strong source of dark magic was just a few hundred feet ahead.

_Like attracts like_, a fleeting voice whispered.

Rena and Elsword glanced at each other, a deadpan expression on Elsword's face and a concerned one on Rena's. After a brief moment, the redhead picked himself up from the rock and stretched, letting out a huge sigh.

"Let's put an end to this damn heat."

* * *

I quickly teleported to the side in a desperate attempt to escape Kayak's homing missile.

While Kayak was easily found, he wasn't as easily taken down. While we were feeling faint with heat stroke, Kayak seemed to be comfortable with the scorching temperatures. After all, he was a cold-blooded reptile.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Rena trying to fire arrows as fast as she could in order to create an opening for Elsword to attack, but Rena's arrows never hit home as Kayak jumped around agilely.

"This damn heat," Elsword growled menacingly, recklessly charging at Kayak.

"No!" I screamed after him, hurriedly teleporting myself over to him.

Kayak's staff swept at him with a speed that Elsword couldn't dodge, knocking the swordsman into a rocky cave wall where he slumped over, unconscious. Kayak grinned, dancing wildly with victory as he glanced between Rena and me for his next victim.

"Rena, check on him. I'll distract Kayak for now!" Brandishing my own staff, I summoned a few dark plasma orbs in an attempt to make him retreat.

_Oh, dark magic? At such a young age too. Are you sure you can handle it_, a raspy voice whispered in my brain.

I stared at the overgrown lizard, and the smile on his face turned into a vehement smirk.

_You'll fall to it, you know. One day your powers will outgrow you. And you'll fall._

I couldn't and I wouldn't, I swore to myself that day.

* * *

"Get them to the infirmary! Now!" I heard Stella yell once I teleported back to the village. I watched as Elsword and Rena were carried away to Chacha Buch's tent on stretchers, severe burns, bruises, and open cuts on their faces and limbs. Their skin was covered in soot, and the smell from singed hair and flesh stung my nose.

Unthinkingly, I followed them, not hearing a single question that Stella threw at me.

I myself wasn't too sure what happened, but Kayak was defeated and purified from whatever spell he was under. The only casualties were a couple of lizardmen.

And Elsword and Rena.

Elsword's injuries were serious. Second degree burns covered areas where his skin was exposed, though it would've been worse if he didn't have any affinity to fire. His face was red with an unnatural shine, and his red hair was matted with darkened dried blood. Scratches and gashes bled afresh with the slightest of movements. I was sure that the last attack he was hit with would leave a large, painful bruise on his torso.

Rena, thanks to her naturally fast healing, also had a few severe burns though they quickly became less raw with time. Her clothing and hair was singed in some areas, but that was a small price to pay for being alive. She was conscious, though too weak from dehydration and lack of oxygen to move.

"Ai-Aisha," she whispered, beckoning me over to her with a weak gesture of her hand. "That magic… was that a spell your book taught?"

I ran over to her, trying to catch up with the villagers that were carrying her stretcher to the alchemist's home. "Don't speak. Just rest and heal up so we can continue our journey."

"But that spell—"

"Bring them in here," Chacha Buch said as he held open the tent flap, ushering the two injured ones inside as villagers gathered around his tent. He glanced at me briefly and turned away to head in, only to come back to give me a long, hard stare. "You'll wait out here."

"Wait, why? They're my friends!" I protested, completely shocked.

"I sense dark magic from you, the same kind that infected Kayak. I will not have that in my tent, especially not while I have patients," he stated bluntly.

"But—"

"No is no. This is the magic you choose to use, this is the price you pay. I will not have you cursing anyone or hindering the healing process in any way." With that, he stepped into the darkened interior of the canvas structure to where Elsword and Rena lay.

I attempted to follow him, but the villagers blocked my path. Stella broke through the crowd, a wary expression on her face.

"Stella, he can't do that! I have to go check on them," I tried to appeal to her.

"Sorry, but I can't do much. Maybe you have superb control over your magic, I don't know. But we're not taking any chances. I think it is best for everyone that you take a walk and cool down for a bit," she replied sternly.

And I did.

I tore through the town, avoiding the judgmental eyes of the villagers and ignoring the whispers of condemnation.

_Is this what Elsword and Rena think of me?_

* * *

Rumors travelled fast, even to a remote island like Altera. Once we stepped into Altera with an unconscious Raven in our party, I could tell that they knew.

The eyes squinted with doubt, the obvious scent of fear, the unconscious retreating, it was all there, in these Ponggos whom I had never met before.

And as much as I wanted to get used to it, I couldn't. But I couldn't bear to admit to myself that it was painful.

So I pretended not to see.

Once we settled Raven at Chief Adel's house, I stepped outside. I couldn't stand the way the chief looked at me; his aura of sagacity and look of pity made me feel sick to myself, and I could feel the regret I quashed slowly start to bubble up.

_Control, I have control._

_I am a genius magician. Of course I can control something as little as this._

But these were all lies I conjured to mask the fears and the doubts. They were in the back of my mind, constantly reminding me of my shortcomings.

_Don't get ahead of yourself. You're too weak to keep it in control._

_Alone… that's what you are. Do you think people can trust a dark magic practitioner?_

_History always repeats itself_, the most maleficent one hisses. _There is no dark magician still alive today. What makes you think you'll be an exception?_

I walked around town aimlessly, not even taking in the fact that everyone was careful to leave a four feet radius around me, as I tried to suppress the overwhelming thoughts. In my peripheral view, a young child dropped her handkerchief as she ran towards what appeared to be her mother. I bent down and picked it up, offering to the wide-eyed child as she stood, frozen.

"Here," I said in the gentlest tone I could muster. "You dropped this. Be careful next time, okay?"

The child only stared, unblinking. Slowly, her gaze moved to the proffered handkerchief and back to my face.

Confused, I pushed the cloth closer.

"G-get away from my daughter!" A Ponggo rushed up and knocked my hand away, letting the white cloth float to the ground. "Don't you dare try to harm her, you witch!" the mother screamed.

My eyes could only follow the trail of the slowly descending handkerchief, tracing its path until it dolefully settled onto the dusty cobblestone.

* * *

The nightmares had always been there.

Images of my mentor torn into mere strips of flesh and bone, tendons and sinews stretching before snapping, turning into what used to be human. Elsword's silent scream as he was torn from limb to limb, leaving no trace of his former liveliness. And Rena with a deep incision across her neck, gurgling as bursts of crimson bubbled from the wound and her mouth.

But they weren't gone; they would come back, each one of them.

_It's your fault, all your fault_, they chanted over and over.

But now the dream included Raven and Eve, whom Elsword had forcibly awakened from the Altera Core.

And I couldn't take it anymore.

I dreaded night; I loathed sleep.

* * *

**A/N: I was planning for this to be a one-shot, but it got way too long, which explains the unsatisfactory ending. I cut it off at a really bad spot, but the next part is kind of crucial. This will most likely be a three-shot, since there's so much to cover. It's fun going into the little nasty bits about dark magic even though most fantasy media glosses over it or makes it sound fun.  
**

**I promise you, the next parts will have more continuity instead of all the fragments in this chapter.**

**Epigraph in the beginning by Shakespeare.**


	2. Part II

**The Chains of the Mind**

* * *

**II**

* * *

Chief Adel's house was large in comparison to the rest of the residences in Altera. After all, it was able to house every one of us and still have room for more guests. The main dining room consisted of a long, rectangular table that stretched from nearly one wall to the opposite, made for huge feasts and banquets. It was there I sat alone one night as everyone slumbered peacefully upstairs, just after the destruction King Nasod and the Altera Core.

I chewed on my bottom lip as I replayed the battle in my mind. Despite King Nasod's huge bulk, he did have a weakness: his own Core, the Powertrain, vulnerable as long as the elemental El extractors were destroyed.

Eve, still in a stupor from being awakened after centuries, wasn't able to do much fighting, but she had knowledge to help us win. Once King Nasod's Powertrain was exposed, all you had to do was unleash the most powerful techniques you could manage.

In my mind's eye, I can still see the blaze of Elsword's blade, the explosion of Raven's nuke, Rena desperately trying to break through the steel of the contraption with her heavy kicks, and even Eve trying her best to direct our attacks. The sharp smell of sweat combined with molten metal permeated the air around the Core, filling my nose with its rancid stench.

I couldn't tell what came over me; it was like my mind was running on auto-pilot, the infinite mana and adrenaline running through my veins.

_Power._

_Magic._

Pure dark energy, throbbing to be released.

I realized then that it was either it or me. Would I be the one consumed or would I control it?

It was during that fight against King Nasod that I understood the true potential of dark magic, that I understood why it was feared by so many, that I understood why there were so few practitioners.

It was a gamble between power and madness, between ambition and decay.

_And the gamblers never won._

Maybe it was stupid of me to start on this path without knowing the risks, now even stupider now that I know them. Dark magic didn't follow the conventional rules of creation—its creation is born from destruction. In other words, unlike elemental magic that focused on conjuring the elements, dark magic started with degeneration.

Degeneration of the mind and, inevitably, the body.

My hands shook on the wooden table as I understood the reality of the path I chose. It was a short path but one that twisted and twined into the depths of fate. I pressed my trembling hands to my forehead, taking a few deep breaths to steady myself and to get away from my distressed thoughts.

"You finally realized it, haven't you?" said a voice behind me. I was so distracted that I didn't notice the presence behind me or heard the door open.

"W-what?" My voice was as shaky as the rest of me, my throat dry with nervousness.

Chief Adel, despite his physically short stature, seemed to have the aura of a giant. Perhaps it came from his many years of living, his understanding of the world, a certain oneness. "Dark magicians are rare, aren't they?"

"I wouldn't know. No one told me anything outside of ancient legends and hearsay."

His calm demeanor didn't change. "You know, don't you?" A rhetorical question. "The power grows stronger until the user falls, the container consumed by the contents, like an acid eating its way through a flask."

He knew something. He hadn't spoken two words to me or approached me until now. I gave him my best unwavering stare, urging him on despite my rising impatience.

He obliged in his own way. "Did you hear about the demon invasion in Feita? I know you and your party intend to go help."

I felt my jaw clench before I answered bitterly. "And what of it? Do you want to come help us too?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't even if I wanted to. Old age has gotten the better of me, you see. I just don't have the energy I did a few decades ago." He sighed nostalgically. "On another note, perhaps your magic and the demons have some sort of connection? After all, dark magic was introduced to humans by something otherworldly, or so says the lore."

"Are you saying that I should run to Feita first because of some folktales created by mothers to keep their children behaved?"

He turned around at a speed that didn't quite fit with his age. "I'm saying that even folktales have a sliver of truth in them," was his reply as he hobbled away with his cane.

* * *

I had been to Feita before with my mentor back when I was still a beginner. Even then, it was rather gloomy, darkened skies even when it should have been morning. I never understood how the villagers could live with only glimpses of sunlight, how plants could flourish in such a dreary place.

But nature was hardy; it adapted in the same fashion the Feita villagers did.

What I thought of as a desolate landscape was actually the birthplace of many a nocturnal species. Plants depended not on sunlight but on moonlight and the occasional insect for nutrition. Some glowed faintly, alerting predators of poison while other nonvenomous species used the same technique to avoid being eaten. Creatures relied on sound rather than sight to navigate their way. It only made sense that such a unique environment would be the location of all things obscure.

"D-dark magic?" the ebony-haired secretary stuttered. "I-I'm sorry, but I d-don't think we w-would have any in-information about something as d-dangerous as that."

"I see. Thanks for your time." I turned my head down and tightened my grip around the cloak, praying that he didn't catch a good glimpse of my face. After sneaking around hoards of demons and who-knows-what-else, I finally came to a dead end. As far as I could tell from the snippets of conversation I overheard, the demons most likely spawned from a portal somewhere at the top of the temple.

And there was an endless amount of them, everyone said.

Too many monsters, too few soldiers, and even fewer supplies.

Every day, the village grew emptier as the populace fled to neighboring cities, hoping for better protection, or even further to avoid the invasion altogether. Neighborhoods became wastelands, bustling marketplaces turned dusty, and even governmental buildings were evacuated into camps closer to military protection.

Which worked to my advantage and against it. While I wasn't the most suspicious person around, I drew quite a lot of attention to myself by being an outsider and one of the few that wasn't fleeing. More often than not, I found myself going to the library, even sleeping there as the librarians never came back. Feita was truly a mysterious village, the library filled with books that I never came across in Hamel, which was rumored to have a copy of all publications in existence.

I spent days searching for anything relevant, skimming, reading, but to no avail. My fingers were covered with ink and my clothing was covered with dust from brushing off ancient references.

But it was heaven.

Words on a page were more familiar to me than anything else; I was closer to my books than I was to my own parents, my mentor, and even the friends I made on my journey. They swam across the page, just a few letters put together in different combinations to give meanings Reading, I found, kept my mind busy and warded off the nightmares.

Or maybe the day I would have to unavoidably leave was the actual nightmare.

* * *

Exhaustion fell heavy on my mind as my heavy eyelids struggled to remain open. When was the last time I slept, I didn't know. Time hidden among shelves didn't pass the same way it did outside. Sure, I fought off a stray demon here and there, but, outside of that, it had been only reading for me. At times, sounds of battle, the clang of steel and the incessant moaning of the wounded, would drift in and out, shifting in volume, like a fickle wind.

I blinked slowly, noting the page I was on. I glanced around the silent library briefly, making sure that I was absolutely alone before I gave in to slumber. I batted at the lamp switch before giving up and slumping over on the old, oaken desk.

* * *

_Ooh, a newbie! Such a young one too._

I jerked awake but instead of finding myself in the library of Feita, I found myself in complete darkness, completely unlike the sunless atmosphere of the village. This darkness was heavy, permeating everywhere and pressing against my body like I was trapped in a tiny box.

"W-who's there?" I called out, not knowing if my voice could even penetrate through the omnipresent blackness. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or not as I twisted my neck around to look for a source.

_It is I, the greatest, most powerful, the scariest demon of all, Angkor!_ Suddenly, a huge, round form, two times taller than me and probably ten times wider, appeared in front of me. It stood on a pair of stocky legs and, in lieu of arms, had wings that seemed too small to be of any use beside decoration. Its yellow eyes glowed brightly in the blackness and were the only source of illumination I had.

It was like a bat, except a few times bigger and many, many times heavier.

"An-Angkor? Are you sure you're not his larger, chubbier uncle Fatkor?"

_Hey, hey. Am I not mighty enough for you, damned flat chest?!_

And it had sass too. I ignored the latter part of his sentence, but I could feel irritation building up within me. "If by 'mighty' you mean obese, then yes, you are mighty enough."

_I can take on many different forms. Maybe this one will be to your fancy?_

The bat-creature shrunk, its silhouette suddenly contracting into a form that was about as big as my head. And still too fat for its size.

"You're still kind of heavy around the middle, you know."

_Oh, shut up. I'm getting old, you know. My metabolism isn't what it used to be. Back in the old days, I could swallow up entire villages or three and not gain a single ounce! But enough about me—you'll hear more about that. Do you wish to know why you're here?_

"I'm guessing it's not to be harassed by an overweight chiropteran creature?"

_If you're going to talk about my weight, I'll talk about your chest. Or lack of, rather._

A vein under my eye twitched as I crossed my arms in front of me. "Fine, get on with it."

_I'm a demon born from the depths of hell. You're a mage practicing magic that originates from the depths of hell. Wouldn't we be quite a pair together?_

"So you're suggesting that we work together?"

_Maybe working together isn't quite the right way to phrase it. A symbiotic relationship, perhaps?_

"I get the feeling that there's a catch to this." In all the legends I read about demons and humans, humans inevitably became the victims as they were used merely for the sake of the demons' goal. Was I about to become demon fodder too?

_Of course there is. Nothing in life is free. It's just a small contract, and I promise I won't eat you. You don't look delectable enough, not enough meat._

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. Now what does this contract entail?" My curiosity was getting the better of me. Why would a demon need my help when it obviously was powerful enough to be destroying entire towns?

_Just two things. Carry me around in this form in the human world when I need you to. And also, wear clothing that I approve._

"That's it?"

_That's it._

"Can't you find anyone for something as simple as that? And what am I getting out of this?"

The expression on Angkor's face hadn't changed at all since the beginning of our meeting. His empty, golden eyes were still staring, unblinking. His mouth was twisted into a permanent smile. But his voice definitely conveyed amusement.

_But anyone isn't you, my dear dark mage. I can feel the overwhelming power that flows through you. I can help you control it, so it doesn't take over you like it did to others who walked your path. Simply put, I can be a buffer between the degenerative capabilities of your powers and your magical output as long as you agree to the terms. Do you accept?_

"Wait, wait, wait, why are you, most powerful, most intimidating demon Angkor, even deigning to help a mere human like me? What's your goal in this?"

_Fun. You humans are such interesting creatures. I get amusement, you get better control over your power and maybe even more power. What do you say? This isn't an offer you get every day, you know._

Carefully, I weighed the pros and cons in my head.

**Pros: I win the gamble, I might get stronger**

**Cons: I lose the right to choose what to wear, I carry him around**

Seemed like an obvious choice if you asked me.

"Fine, I accept the terms of the contract."

_Good, good. Now get rid of those frumpy articles and wear something more fashionable!_

"Fr-frumpy? Excuse me?! I happen to like what I'm wearing right now."

_If I had it my way, every girl would be out in public in a skimpy bikini, but alas that would be impractical._

"Are you actually a demon or a just a fat pervert?"

_Hey, it's not like you would look good in a swimsuit. You have nothing to show. How about a tube top or a bandeau? That might give you some much needed oomph, you—_

I extracted my fist from Angkor's soft form before he could continue. "If you're so picky, why not just give me something you like? You're a supposedly strong demon; do something."

_Then don't complain when you see it!_ He floated away into the darkness, leaving me alone.

"Hold on, let's establish some boundaries first!" I called out, reaching out for his disappearing form.

* * *

I awoke with a jolt, shivering slightly. I didn't remember it being this cold before.

_Good morning!_ A smiling bat figurine flitted in front of me, and I realized that what happened wasn't a dream.

"Oh, great. You're actually real."

_And you're looking absolutely fantastic today. I took the liberty of doing your hair while you were sleeping too. I must say, for a thousand year old demon, I have great fashion sense._

Immediately, I reached up to my hair where two pigtails were secured by fabric ribbons. _I suppose I can live with this_.

Then I looked down to my clothing.

"A. N. G. K. O. R." I elongated his name, feeling my face heat up in rage. In place of my usual long sleeved shirt, skirt, and knee-high socks were a shrug, a top that barely covered my decent parts, a short skirt that flared out toward the back, and leggings. "I'm going to kill you!"

_Forget fantastic; you're looking absolutely demonic this morning. At least I covered up your legs, though garters and tights aren't really my thing._ His happy-go-lucky tone hadn't changed since last night as he fluttered out of my reach. _I can't wait to see how you'll explain this to everyone._

"The contract might say that I needed to carry you around, but it never said I had to carry you around in one piece," I snarled as I lunged at him.

* * *

**A/N:** Because you can't have Angkor without some much needed humor.

Next part should be the _very_ last unless I decide to extend it some more.  
_And then I'll have my first finished story in this fandom. Likewhatomg._

Maybe a bonus chapter for some extra drabbles.


End file.
